Just a few days ago developer Koushik Dutta showed us how he's implementing local video streaming into the latest CyanogenMod version. In many a pundit's opinions, the one major obstacle that Chromecast has that prevents it from competing fully with Apple's Airplay is the inability to stream local content from your device. Well today we're happy to say he's come out with a standalone app called 'AllCast'(Koushik just changed the name to 'AirCast') which , while in Beta form promises to solve this dilemma. As you can see in the video above you simply navigate to your gallery as well as Dropbox or Google Drive and stream them to your tv.

Now the app as I mentioned is in Beta and it's actually designed to self-destruct after about 48 hours. Apparently Koushik wants to keep releasing betas until he's happy with a final version. We're also curious to see how Google takes to this app since it might infringe on some of the content licensing deals and apps they've arranged. It does seem inevitable though that we'll see either a third party or Google created way to stream local content eventually and it's good to see talented developers like Koushik pushing the Chromecast technology forward. If you want to try it yourself you can grab the files from the link available on his G Page Here

Right now the Google Chromecast is a pretty popular piece of Kit. Sold out practically everywhere, you'll wait weeks or even months if ordering through the standard places like the Google Play Store, Amazon.com or Best Buy. The Chromecast device is incredibly straightforward and relies on a 'barely there' user interface that let's us with a tap of our finger throw video, web pages or more onto out televisions screens or monitors. Ah...but what if Google has something more in store here? Right now the 'ready to cast' start page is basically an empty page with a picture and id of the location you want to cast to. But in the future it might have much more...in fact it might act as some kind of information hub with news, updates from feeds, photos, heck even advertising.

This possibility comes our way from the tech blog Liliputing who in a recent article cited some code noticed by AndroidPolice during a teardown that lays the groundwork for a lot more information on the 'ready to cast' page than there is now. For one it looks like we might soon be able to pick 'themes' for the kinds of images that appear on the 'cast' page. Other code points to the possibility of News, Offers and Recent Photos. Digging a little further, they spoke with software developer Leon Nichols who reported that the page is really just a simple HTML page and thus any manner of information would be easy to put on it.

Apparently there's also already Javascript code hinting that banner ads could be placed on it. Now at a price of $35 the Chromecast is already cheap...but what do you think of the possibility of a 'free' Chromecast in the near future but with some 'cast' page advertising to see?

On July 24th, 2013, the world was introduced to Chromecast. Coming as a surprise introduction during their Nexus 7 Press Event, the Chromecast quickly became the talk of the show and sold out almost immediately at the Google Play Store, Amazon.com and BestBuy. Above is the 20 minute initial introduction of Chromecast during the hour long event. Google VP Mario Caros is introduced by Sundar Pichai and he walks us through how simple yet powerful Chromecast is and how its capabilities is available cross platform and cross devices.

The forum at ChromecastForum.net is made up of a wide array of people from all over the world that share a common interest in the Google Chromecast and the. The skill levels of various members range from absolute beginner to seasoned developer and we encourage those more advanced to help those less so to learn. Before you start to post please read through these rules so you can follow our guidelines and help in creating a positive, constructive community for all. If you have any questions or are unclear of something please contact one of our moderators or admin staff.

Forum Rules:

This is a privately owned forum and community. We have the right to accept or decline any membership application and you are not guaranteed membership nor above possible revocation if guidelines are not followed.

1. No content (even abbreviations) that are considered racist, vulgar, X-rated, or objectionable will be tolerated. All such posts will be deleted without notice and the member who posted it will be issued a warning or banned at our discretion. This restriction includes avatars, user names and links.

2. No bashing of any company or product will be tolerated. Any legitimate concerns with a company, their practices or a product can be voiced in the appropriate board or thread in a mature, productive, even-tempered manner that is conducive to a successful resolution. Inflammatory or inciting comments are subject to deletion at our discretion.

3. This is a 'PG' rated Forum. Don’t post content that you would not show your children, loved ones or mother without regret.

4. No Discussion of politics or religion is allowed on ChromecastForum.net.

5. You will not violate a person's privacy by publishing information that is private and personal unless you have evidence of a crime or scam. If you feel the need to do this, send one of our moderators a message before doing so.

6. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. We take politeness very seriously. You are welcome to challenge others points of view and opinions, but please do so respectfully, thoughtfully and in an even-tempered manner. We have a 'no bashing' policy.

7. Create threads in the proper forum. Threads created and posted in the wrong forum are subject to deletion. One thread on the same topic or question, posted in multiple forums, is also subject to deletion.

8. Do not post an off-topic comment in an existing thread. This derails the conversation and makes it difficult for others to follow. If you have a comment or question that is different from the topic in the thread, please start a new post.

9. Please do not hijack threads. This includes starting general chit-chat or banter in legitimate threads. Keep this in the 'Lounge- Off Topic' section.

10. Chit-chat in the 'Lounge' still falls under all the Forum Rules. So, keep it clean!

11. Do not “bump” a post to attract attention to it. If, after 48 hours, you have not received a response on a question you may bump your post one (1) time. If you still do not receive a response send a private message (PM) to a moderator and ask for assistance. Bumping posts may subject the post to deletion.

12. We have a zero-tolerance approach on SPAM. If you post spam,(and this includes via private message) your account will be permanently banned and your topic will be deleted. If you only post once and that post advertises a product, this is SPAM and will be treated as such.

12b. Attention App Developers and Accessory or Product Sellers/Manufacturers. If you would like us to highlight your app or product on the front page, please contact our admin, Babyfacemagee, to arrange for a sample to be provided. Upon review and approval we may post it as a 'spotlight' on our front page. This is at our discretion and a one time thing if we think the product/app is of high quality and useful for our members. If you would like to have a permanent ad on the forum please contact us for paid sponsorship.

13. Posting in the incorrect section will result in a warning and subsequent posts may result in a ban at the moderator's discretion. Thank you for understanding and helping us keep the forums spam free and organized!

14. Use the search function(s) prior to posting a comment or question.

15. Do not promote your products, websites, domains, company, or services in any of the discussion forums. This includes starting a thread, replying to a post, or putting it in your signature. If a member is seeking assistance or looking for a certain type of product, the best way to offer your services is to send a PM. The only way people are allowed to advertise on this site is if they are paying to do so. The forum owners are the only ones able to make this decision.

16. If you wish to become a sponsor of this site please send a private message/request to the forum administrators HERE.

17. With the exception of news articles, promoting other Chromecast related forums or blogs in your posts, signatures, or in any way on the forum is not permitted. Doing so may result in a banning.

18. Posting for charity, fundraising, or research is not permitted.

19. Users may disagree with the decisions or actions of the moderators or administrators. However, such disagreements, criticism and the like are not to be aired publicly in the forum. Please feel free to PM the person directly rather than air your dirty laundry in public.

20. Any abuse towards our staff or management will result in immediate suspension of your account.

21. Do not create a user name that is your business, product or blog site name. Doing so will result in your account will be suspended and you will be asked to create a new name.

22. Do not use your e-mail address as your user name or include your e-mail in any thread or post. If your user name is your e-mail address, your account will be suspended and you will be asked to create a new name. If you include your e-mail within a post, it will be deleted by forum staff.

23. Do not post other personal or business contact information on this forum, to include mailing addresses and phone numbers.

24. You may have only one account and username at ChromecastForum.net.

25. Signature Rules

25.1 Your signature may consist of a maximum of 5 lines.

25.2 No external links are allowed in your signature with the exception of links to posts or articles within ChromecastForum.net.

25.5 Your signature should not call too much attention to it so that it should disrupt the normal flow of a thread. This means if text or pictures are too large, bright or animated in a way that should cause distraction it will be changed or removed at admin's discretion and without prior notice.

26. Linking

26.1 No links to personal websites, blogs, companies, businesses or advertisements are allowed. Links to products or information off this site is permitted only if it appropriately fits in with a topic and thread and makes sense in context (for example a link to a case sold on Amazon when in a thread about cases or a link to a page on Google announcing a new feature or update in a thread about that feature or update).

26.2 Please no posts that consist 'only' of a link. Please describe or discuss what is being linked to and/or why.

26.3 Inappropriate or exorbitant linking may be removed or modified by Admin.

27. Do not ask or direct questions meant for Google Inc. here. Please post on their company forums.

28. Posting Images - You may post images including screen captures of apps and websites on your tablets or of accessories or other items that are pertinent to your post. However, please limit these to 700 pixels wide or 800 pixels high, whichever measurement is the greater so that they don't clutter the forum threads and also don't abuse the privilege. As an example if you were to do a screen capture of the Nexus 7 screen which is 800 pixels x 1280 pixels you would need to reduce this to a 500 pixel width by 800 pixel height image since the 800 is the larger side. Also, too many pictures without good reason end up cluttering the forum and threads and ruin the flow and thus admin might delete and/or reduce pictures if necessary if they are deemed excessive or superfluous. For image hosting we recommend either imgur.com or imageshack.us. Also, we would prefer if members would keep images on the smaller side, preferably 640 x 480 when possible to keep the forum boards flowing well. We'll try these 700/800 settings for now and see how they work, they may be altered in the future at admin's discretion.

29. If you are a Developer who wishes to post an announcement of a newly released app or game you may do so by starting a topic in either the games or apps boards one time only. All discussion regarding that app should remain in that topic and any repeat announcements in other areas of the forum will be deleted.

We are excited that you are a part of the Chromecast community and hope you can help us grow this site into an invaluable resource for all Chromecast owners around the world. The rules above are in the interest of everyone and we thank you for understanding.

The Chromecast App Board is for all topics related to the various apps that are available for the Chromecast. This includes both officially supported Apps such as Netflix, Youtube and the Chrome browser as well as those apps provided by 3rd parties that work with the device. If you're looking for a particular app or functionality...or would like to share which ones you use with others...this is the place!

The Google Chromecast OS is a custom OS derived mostly from Google's Android OS and specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with the hardware of your Chromecast. This board is for all discussions related to Chromecast operating system including operation, help topics, updates and anything else OS related.

Google has launched a series of long and short forum television commercials featuring the minute long 'Chromecast: For Bigger Fun' ad above and three shorter versions that each follow in succession that are 15 seconds long. The shorter versions are titled: 'Chromecast: For Bigger Escapes', the next called: 'Chromecast: For Bigger JoyRides', and finally there's also a shorter version of he original that's also called 'Chromecast: For Bigger Fun' that's just a scaled down version of the minute long version.

Each commercial, in essence shows different groups of individuals watching some form of content on a mobile device, whether phone, tablet or laptop...and with the press of a button, 'casting' whatever they are viewing on to their giant HDTV screen. The spots effectively show how simple...and powerful...Chromecast is. So what do you think of the spots?

One of the traditions whenever a new mobile or tech device comes out is for iFixit to do a teardown of the hardware to let us see what's inside, how it's put together and just how repairable the device is by the common hobbyist as well as professional. As a side benefit we also get to see a lot of the technical details...such as what chips and memory are used and how it's all put together. Well, the Chromecast has just been stripped bare and this magical streaming device which has taken the tech world by storm is remarkedly straightforward, consisting of a single circuit board with chips on both sides and held together by a dab of glue around the edges.

Now the heart of the Chromecast is a system on a chip (SOC) made by Marvell and using 16GB of NAND flash memory by Micron. Wireless connectivity is handled by an Azurewave b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth and FM combo module. Finally, we have 512MB of DDR3 SDRAM by Micron. Of course these are all attached to the HDMI and MiniUSB ports. Here's the details:

A lot of Chromecast buyers have chosen to purchase their hot new Google media streamer from Amazon instead of the Google Play Store in order to take advantage of the free shipping that the retailer offers. The Google Play Store sold out of the Chromecast within hours of its introduction and ever since there has been a several week wait, which might also explain why customers are going to alternative sources. However, yesterday a lot of Amazon customers who have a Chromecast on order received a disheartening email claiming they might not see their purchase until mid to late October. This of course sent quite a number of them into a tizzy but we're happy to say that it was all a mistake.

The company, in an email sent to the Wall Street Journal clarified the situation and said ""We are actively fulfilling orders and all customers who placed orders prior to August 7 should receive their orders in the coming weeks,". Now this time-frame applies to those who ordered the device prior to August 7th. If you order today, there in fact is a wait of 2-3 months. We have to think the popularity of the Chromecast has to have taken the company by surprise, even though it was fairly predictable given the low price. The good news is that we're sure they've ramped up production and we see Chromecasts-a-plenty come holiday season.

This board is for all issues related to rooting, hacking, modifying and any other 'development' related issues with your Google Chromecast. While at first only officially supporting such apps and sites such as Netflix, Youtube, Chrome and Google Play, much work is being done to expand the capabilities of the Chromecast. This board will show you how to make the most of your device and exploit and use it to its full potential.

This board is for all topics related to the ordering and shipping of your Chromecast. While made and sold by Google at the Google Play Store, the Chromecast is also sold through a number of major name retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. Any topic related to ordering and/or shipping such as cost, wait times, returns, charge or payment issues, sales and deals etc should go here.